New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
1
and sent Nathan to David. Nathan said to him, "There were two men in the same city - one rich, the other poor.
2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds;
2
The rich man had huge flocks of sheep, herds of cattle.
3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him.
3
The poor man had nothing but one little female lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up with him and his children as a member of the family. It ate off his plate and drank from his cup and slept on his bed. It was like a daughter to him.
4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him."
4
"One day a traveler dropped in on the rich man. He was too stingy to take an animal from his own herds or flocks to make a meal for his visitor, so he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal to set before his guest."
5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die;
5
David exploded in anger. "As surely as God lives," he said to Nathan, "the man who did this ought to be lynched!
6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
6
He must repay for the lamb four times over for his crime and his stinginess!"
7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;
7
"You're the man!" said Nathan. "And here's what God, the God of Israel, has to say to you: I made you king over Israel. I freed you from the fist of Saul.
8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more.
8
I gave you your master's daughter and other wives to have and to hold. I gave you both Israel and Judah. And if that hadn't been enough, I'd have gladly thrown in much more.
9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
9
So why have you treated the word of God with brazen contempt, doing this great evil? You murdered Uriah the Hittite, then took his wife as your wife. Worse, you killed him with an Ammonite sword!
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
10
And now, because you treated God with such contempt and took Uriah the Hittite's wife as your wife, killing and murder will continually plague your family.
11 Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun.
11
This is God speaking, remember! I'll make trouble for you out of your own family. I'll take your wives from right out in front of you. I'll give them to some neighbor, and he'll go to bed with them openly.
12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."
12
You did your deed in secret; I'm doing mine with the whole country watching!"
13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan said to David, "Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.
13
Then David confessed to Nathan, "I've sinned against God."
14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die."
14
But because of your blasphemous behavior, the son born to you will die."
15 Then Nathan went to his house. The Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became very ill.
15
After Nathan went home, God afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he came down sick.
16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.
16
David prayed desperately to God for the little boy. He fasted, wouldn't go out, and slept on the floor.
17 The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
17
The elders in his family came in and tried to get him off the floor, but he wouldn't budge. Nor could they get him to eat anything.
18 On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, "While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm."
18
On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him. They said, "What do we do now? While the child was living he wouldn't listen to a word we said. Now, with the child dead, if we speak to him there's no telling what he'll do."
19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead."
19
David noticed that the servants were whispering behind his back, and realized that the boy must have died. He asked the servants, "Is the boy dead?" "Yes," they answered. "He's dead."
20 Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate.
20
David got up from the floor, washed his face and combed his hair, put on a fresh change of clothes, then went into the sanctuary and worshiped. Then he came home and asked for something to eat. They set it before him and he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child died, you rose and ate food."
21
His servants asked him, "What's going on with you? While the child was alive you fasted and wept and stayed up all night. Now that he's dead, you get up and eat."
22 He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, "Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.'
22
"While the child was alive," he said, "I fasted and wept, thinking God might have mercy on me and the child would live.
23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."
23
But now that he's dead, why fast? Can I bring him back now? I can go to him, but he can't come to me."
24 Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him,
24
David went and comforted his wife Bathsheba. And when he slept with her, they conceived a son. When he was born they named him Solomon. God had a special love for him
25 and sent a message by the prophet Nathan; so he named him Jedidiah, because of the Lord.
25
and sent word by Nathan the prophet that God wanted him named Jedidiah (God's Beloved).
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took the royal city.
26
Joab, at war in Rabbah against the Ammonites, captured the royal city.
27 Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city.
27
He sent messengers to David saying, "I'm fighting at Rabbah, and I've just captured the city's water supply.
28 Now, then, gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; or I myself will take the city, and it will be called by my name."
28
Hurry and get the rest of the troops together and set up camp here at the city and complete the capture yourself. Otherwise, I'll capture it and get all the credit instead of you."
29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.
29
So David marshaled all the troops, went to Rabbah, and fought and captured it.
30 He took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David's head. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
30
He took the crown from their king's head - very heavy with gold, and with a precious stone in it. It ended up on David's head. And they plundered the city, carrying off a great quantity of loot.
31 He brought out the people who were in it, and set them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
31
David emptied the city of its people and put them to slave labor using saws, picks, and axes, and making bricks. He did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and the whole army returned to Jerusalem.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.